Concrete mosaic and method of forming the same

ABSTRACT

A mosaic concrete product, methods of creating the same, and methods of fabricating a module for use in creating the mosaic are provided. The methods of installing the mosaic upon an uncured concrete surface utilize the module. The module may be fabricated by mapping out tile in a design corresponding to the mosaic; adhering the tile to a template utilizing an adhesive, the tile being positioned thereon corresponding to the design; and allowing the adhesive to set. The module may define upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface including the tile adhered thereto. The methods of installing the mosaic comprises: positioning the module upon the uncured concrete surface; embedding the tile into the concrete surface; massaging the tile into the concrete surface to interpose a quantity of cement/fines paste between the adjacent tiles; and finishing the concrete surface.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/735,577, filed on Jan. 7, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,793,964, which isa continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/311,952, filed onDec. 6, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/251,336, filed Oct. 14, 2008, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/585,725, filed Oct. 24, 2006, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,493,732, issued on Feb. 24, 2009, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/729,678, filed Oct. 24,2005 by the present inventor.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates in general to concrete products, and moreparticularly, to methods for creating a mosaic concrete product,specifically, a method of fabricating a module for use in creating amosaic upon an uncured concrete surface and a method of installing themosaic upon the concrete surface utilizing the module.

As is well known in the building and construction trade, concrete isextensively utilized as a building material for industrial, commercialand residential applications. Due to its durability, water resistance,and cost economy, concrete has gained wide spread use in flooringapplications. With this widespread use, the public is currentlydemanding variations in color, surface texture and overall appearance ofconcrete so that the concrete possesses improved aesthetics similar tomore conventional and costly flooring surfaces such as stone, mosaic,and terrazzo.

In order to meet this demand, the concrete trade has developed variouscoloring and surface finishing techniques to enhance the aesthetics ofconcrete. Examples of such finishing techniques include salt finish,multiple broom finish, form press finish (e.g. stamped concrete), andexposed aggregate finish.

In addition to the extensive use of concrete in building andconstruction, the use of mosaics in flooring, walls, and otherdecorative structures and elements has also become significantlywidespread. Such products typically include a picture or decorativedesign. The design is made by completing several steps. First, withregard to flooring, for example, the flooring surface must be prepared,which may include leveling the surface. Secondly, an adhesive, such asmortar or a tile adhesive, is spread upon the surface. After theadhesive is in place, small individual colored mosaic pieces, such asstone or tile, are set into the surface. Once the adhesive issubstantially dried, a grouting product is then set between the mosaicpieces to create a uniform surface and further secure the mosaic piecesto the surface. The resultant product is frequently very beautiful andmay be very ornate and detailed. However, due to the extensive amount oftime and several additional steps that such a product requires incomparison to other flooring products, mosaic flooring are usually quiteexpensive. Further, construction of mosaics in walls and otherdecorative structures and elements may also be quite laborious andexpensive.

Although concrete and mosaic products have advanced significantly overrecent years to meet the demands of customers and innovative builders,there is no current concrete product for use in flooring, walls, orother decorative structures and elements that makes the creation ofmosaics more affordable or efficient than the basic process describedabove.

Therefore, there exists a need in the art for an improved process ofcreating mosaic products that is more cost and time efficient. Further,there is a need in the art for a method of producing a mosaic product inconjunction with the preparation of concrete surfaces for use inflooring, walls, or other decorative structures and elements. Finally,there is a need in the art for a method of producing a mosaic productwherein the majority of the art and design work takes place in thestudio, where costs and working conditions are controlled, and therebyeliminate much of the time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects ofmosaics constructed onsite.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to embodiments of the present invention, a method offabricating a module for use in creating a mosaic upon an uncuredconcrete surface is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a)mapping out tile in a design corresponding to the mosaic; (b) adheringthe tile to a template utilizing an adhesive, the tile being positionedthereon corresponding to the design; and (c) allowing the adhesive toset.

The tile utilized in the mosaic may be selected from various types ofmosaic pieces, such as ceramic, glass, stone, shell, and/or brick tilepieces or combinations thereof. The tile defines top and bottom faces.The top surface of the tile will be exposed when the mosaic iscompleted, with the bottom face being embedded into the concretesurface. Thus, to ensure that the concrete surface is flat, the top faceof the tile is preferably flat.

The module may be created utilizing at least one of two differentmethods disclosed herein. In a first embodiment of the module, thetemplate is preferably fabricated from a porous material, such as apaper or mesh material, which exhibits suitable strength to support thecumulative weight of the tile and durability to withstand bothsubsequent movement of the module and the installation process. In asecond embodiment of the module, the template is preferably fabricatedfrom a mesh material. The method of creating the first embodiment mayinclude the steps of: (a) depositing the adhesive onto the top face ofthe tile; and (b) placing the tile upon the template with the top faceof the tile being in contact therewith, the tile being placed thereonaccording to a reverse image of the design. Further, the method ofcreating the second embodiment may include the steps of: (a) depositingthe adhesive onto the bottom face of the tile; and (b) placing the tileupon the template with the bottom face of the tile being in contacttherewith, the tile being positioned thereon corresponding to thedesign. In the first embodiment, the tile utilized in the mosaic may betemporarily adhered to the template preferably utilizing a water-solubleadhesive, such as a synthetic resin, Elmers® Glue, or Weldbond Glue.However, in the second embodiment, the mosaic may preferably bepermanently adhered to the template such as through the use of LiquidNails and/or a hot glue gun.

The various embodiments of the method may also include the step oftransferring the design onto the template utilizing a marking tool. Thedesign may be sized and configured to indicate the position of the tileon the template for facilitating the assembly of the mosaic. Thus, themarking tool may be a projector, a writing instrument, or the like. Thedesign preferably provides that each tile is preferably spaced at adistance of one-eighth inch or greater from adjacent tile, the distancenot being less than one-eighth inches.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a mosaicconcrete product and a method of installing a mosaic upon an uncuredconcrete surface utilizing the above-described module is provided. Themodule defines upper and lower surfaces. The upper surface includes tileadhered thereto in a design corresponding to the mosaic. As in the firstembodiment described above, the method comprises the steps of: (a)positioning the module upon the uncured concrete surface; (b) embeddingthe tile into the concrete surface for a finish level with the concretesurface; (c) massaging the tile into the concrete surface to interpose aquantity of cement/fines paste between the adjacent tiles; and (d)finishing the concrete surface. The method may further include the stepsof: (e) allowing the concrete surface to partially cure and (f) removingthe template prior to finishing the concrete surface (for the firstembodiment only).

When the template is fabricated from a mesh material, as in the secondembodiment, the positioning step includes placing the lower surface ofthe module into the concrete surface. However, when the template isfabricated from a paper material, as in the first embodiment, thepositioning step includes placing the upper surface of the module ontothe concrete surface. In the first embodiment, the step of finishing theconcrete surface may include applying water to at least a portion of themodule to facilitate removal of the template from the tile.

As mentioned above, the tile may be at least one of ceramic, glass,stone, shell, and brick tile pieces or combinations thereof. After thetile has been placed onto the concrete surface, the massaging step mayinclude utilizing a float to massage the tile into the surface. Further,the method preferably includes the steps of: (a) pouring a concretemixture over a subgrade, the concrete mixture defining the uncuredconcrete surface; and (b) finishing the uncured concrete surface todispose the cement/fines paste derived from the concrete mixture at theuncured concrete surface thereof. Such preparation may enhance themassaging of the tile into the surface.

After the tile has been massaged into the concrete surface, the methodmay further including the steps of: (a) broadcasting a quantity ofaggregate upon the concrete surface of the concrete mixture; (b) mixingthe aggregate into the cement/fines paste; (c) applying a surfaceretarder to the concrete surface; and (d) massaging the surface retarderinto the concrete surface. Finally, the method may include cleaning thesurface with a steam/acid solution after the concrete has cured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodimentsdisclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the followingdescription and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a method illustrating various steps whichmay be performed in installing a mosaic upon an uncured concrete surfaceutilizing a module in accordance with an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 a is a perspective view of the module being positionable onto theuncured concrete surface, the module including a template made of apaper material such as paper or mesh and tiles being adhered thereto ina reverse image of a design corresponding to the mosaic in accordancewith a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 b is a perspective view of the module with an upper surfacethereof being placed upon the concrete surface for embedding the tilestherein in accordance with the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 c is a perspective view of the tiles being embedded into theconcrete surface corresponding to the design of the mosaic in accordancewith the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 a is a perspective view of the module including a template madeof a mesh material and tiles being adhered thereto in a designcorresponding to the mosaic in accordance with a second embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 b is a perspective view of the module with a lower surfacethereof being placed upon the concrete surface for embedding the tilestherein in accordance with the second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 c is a perspective view of the tiles being embedded into theconcrete surface corresponding to the design of the mosaic in accordancewith the second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the mosaic concrete product withaggregate being surface-seeded therein as created in accordance with anaspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes ofillustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only, and not forpurposes of limiting the same, FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating amethod of designing, creating and installing a mosaic 10, as shown inFIG. 4. The teachings herein may be utilized in flooring applications,artistic figures and works, and vertical applications, including walls,in order to facilitate the creation of the mosaic 10. For example, it iscontemplated that the methods disclosed herein may be utilized to createthe mosaic upon objects such as statues, seating, sculpture, bowls,walls, and flooring applications such as pavers and within molds forwalls and foundations, and the like. According to the method illustratedin FIG. 1, the mosaic 10 may be installed upon an uncured concretesurface utilizing a module 14, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C and 3A-3C. Aswill be understood by one of skill in the art, the present methods andteaching may be variously modified within the scope of the presentinvention to facilitate the creation of the mosaic 10 upon the variousstructures and works mentioned above.

Referring to FIG. 1, an implementation of the present invention may beperformed in a flooring application after properly preparing a subgradeat step 12, which may be prepared in a variety of ways, utilizing avariety of tools, materials and methods. One such conventional mode ofpreparation for flooring applications involves preparing the subgrade toa desired elevation and blade and to compact the subgrade preferably toninety percent (90%) compaction. Subsequent to this preparation, thesubgrade is covered with a layer of clean, moist fill sand at step 18,which is preferably maintained at a minimum four (4) inch layerthickness. Although the fill sand is not absolutely necessary, it ishighly desirable to control the hydration process of the concrete. Inorder to increase the resultant strength of the concrete and to reducesubsequent cracking of the same, at step 20 reinforcement members suchas a wire mesh or rebar may be positioned upon the layer of fill sand.The layer, which now includes the fill sand and the reinforcementmembers, is often collectively referred to as the subgrade.

In flooring applications, a concrete mixture may be formed and pouredover the subgrade at step 22 such that the reinforcement members areencapsulated within the concrete mixture. The concrete mixture may bepoured to approximately a three and one half (3½) inch to four (4) inchthickness. Although variations in the concrete mixture are contemplated,a preferred concrete mixture comprises seventy percent (70%) sand andthirty percent (30%) ⅜ inch mean diameter aggregate combined with sixsack cement (2,000 pounds per square inch) or seven sack cement (2,000pounds per square inch). Dependent on individual tastes, various colormixtures can be added to the concrete mixture.

After the concrete mixture has been poured at step 22, the concretemixture is preferably screeded to a desired level plan or grade. Thescreeding of the concrete mixture results in the same defining agenerally level or planar uncured concrete surface. The concrete mixturemay not be tamped as is conventional in the art. In someimplementations, tamping should be avoided so as not to bring up toomuch cement/fines paste in the concrete mixture which would beprohibited for subsequent surface seeding of the exposed aggregatethereupon. Rather, subsequent to screeding, the surface of the concretemixture is surfaced or finished at step 23 to dispose a quantity of thecement/fines paste derived from the concrete mixture to the surfacethereof. This finishing may be done utilizing a vibrating bull float,which is typically characterized by possessing an extremely smooth orpolished surface which, in addition to bringing up the appropriateamount of cement/fines paste for the subsequent manipulative step, alsotends to seal the surface of the concrete mixture. It is contemplatedthat this initial finishing step may be completed through the use of avibrating metal bull float, such as a vibrating magnesium bull float ora vibrating aluminum bull float. The preferred metal bull float is soldunder the trademark HAL200 by the Lievers Holland Co.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2C and 3A-3C, a module 14 may be configured to beinstalled on a concrete surface 55, which is uncured, to facilitate thecreation of a mosaic concrete product 26. In fact, it is contemplatedthat implementations of the present invention may be utilized to createlarge-scale mosaic patterns, such as in flooring applications. Given theteachings found herein, a person of skill in the art may createlimitless types of large-scale prescribed images utilizing mosaic tile28 that is prearranged and adhered to a template 30. Thus, the mosaicconcrete product 26 developed utilizing implementations of the presentinvention may combine the scale, aesthetics, durability and relativelylow cost of concrete paving with the unique and detailed patterns andrenderings inherent in mosaics.

Due to the versatility and beauty of this product, implementations ofthe present invention may revolutionize the scale and scope of whichform mosaics can be used in contemporary interior and exterior flooringapplications. These applications include, but are not limited to,corporate plazas, street intersections, transit platforms, officebuildings, residential areas, beach boardwalks, and city sidewalks. Asdescribed herein, implementations of the present invention allow themajority of the art and design work to take place in the studio, wherecosts and working conditions are controlled, thereby eliminating much ofthe time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects of mosaics constructedonsite. As mentioned above, it is also contemplated that in addition toflooring applications, embodiments of the present invention may beutilized to create the mosaic on vertical structures such as walls, oron other decorative structures and elements. Therefore, walls, forexample, may be constructed in modular fashion utilizing techniquescommon to flooring applications. For example, a removable form may becreated that may support a wall section as it is being created. Aftersetting, the form can later be removed and the wall section can be used.However, it is also contemplated that the mosaic may be placed onto anexisting wall. In this regard, the wall may have a suitable cement/finespaste deposited thereon, such as a mortar or other paste. Thus, the wallmay be able to receive the mosaic utilizing the teachings found herein.Such methods may likewise be utilized for application on otherdecorative structures and elements. Such applications may include all ofthe various forms of fine art, crafts, and the like.

The module 14 may be prepared according to the skill of the creator andthe requirements of the project. As a preliminary matter, it may bepreferable to design and prepare the module 14 off-site from where themosaic concrete product 26 will be created. Any design 32 may be chosenfor the mosaic depending on taste and preferences of the creator. Thedesign 32 may be a two dimensional design or a series of designs. Forexample, the design 32 may also be a repeating motif design, as found infabric, tile, or wallpaper design. The design 32 may also be a singularimage as found in fine art; images such as a painting, drawing,photography, or print making. The design 32 may also incorporategeometric or irregular images, and larger compositions may be createdutilizing multiple modules 14. The design 32 may be abstract, geometric,figurative, and/or narrative, for example—there is no limitation to thedesign 32. There is no limit to the overall scale of a project that canbe covered utilizing implementations of the present invention, or to thesize of the module 14 that can be utilized. The process presented is notlimited in its coverage of a given surface—it may cover 1% to 100% of aconcrete surface area based on design and budget issues. Indeed, thepossibilities and scope with which the present invention may beimplemented may be determined by the creativity and ability of thecreator. Perhaps the only constraints to implementing the presentinvention may be considerations for the density of the design 32 and theproject cost. Nevertheless, the per-square-foot cost of implementationsof the present invention may be considerably less than costs of atraditional mosaic.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2A and 3A, a method of fabricating the module 14for use in creating the mosaic upon a concrete surface 55 is provided.The method includes the steps of: mapping out tile 28 in the design 32corresponding to the mosaic at step 62; adhering the individual tile 28to the template 30 utilizing an adhesive at step 64, the tile 28 beingpositioned thereon corresponding to the design 32; and allowing theadhesive to set at step 66. As mentioned above, fabrication of themodule 14 is preferably performed by placing the template 30 onto a flatsurface.

The step of mapping out the tile in a design 32 corresponding to themosaic concrete product 26 may be done by arranging the tile 28 asdesired. This may be done in “free-form,” with no preconceived design,or it may be done according to a given design. In many cases, anindividual may only have a general idea of coloring and design types,and may thus need to experiment with placement of the tile 28. While anyarrangement of the tile 28 may constitute a design, it is contemplatedthat the individual may likely prefer to choose/arrange the tile 28according to a particular design 32. As mentioned, the design 32 mayalso be transferred onto the template 30 utilizing a marking tool. Thetemplate 30 may be fabricated from various materials, as describedbelow. The design 32 may be sized and configured to indicate theposition of the tile 28 on the template 30 for facilitating the assemblyof the tile 28. The marking tool may be a writing or drawing instrument,or other tools as may be known in the art. It is contemplated that inorder to ensure optimal installation of the module 14, each tile 28should be preferably spaced at a distance of one-eighth to one-fourthinches from adjacent tile 28, the distance not being less thanone-eighth inches. Therefore, the design 32 should accordingly reflectsuch spacing considerations as well as any other considerations that maybe pertinent and necessary to ensure effective installation and overallsuccess of the project. The marking tool may be a permanent marker orpencil. If desired, after transferring the design 32 to the template 30,the template 30 may be cut to a preferred size or shape. Further, it iscontemplated that the tile 28 may be mapped out according to size andcolor, which may facilitate the placement of the tile 28 onto thetemplate 30 and ensure the accuracy of the design 32. Indeed, it iscontemplated that various steps may be taken to correctly and accuratelytransfer the design 32 onto the template 30 and thereby ensure that uponadhesion to the template 30, the tile 28 is correctly placed.

After creating the design 32 and mapping out the design 32 onto thetemplate 30, either by utilizing the marking tool such as a permanentmarker or by utilizing a projector, the tile 28 may then be adhered tothe template 30 at step 64 utilizing the adhesive. The tile 28 may be ofany type of mosaic piece, such as ceramic, glass, stone, shell, and/orbrick tile pieces, and any other variety of ornamental material orcombinations thereof. Of course, when utilized for flooringapplications, the mosaic pieces should be durable and wear resistant,especially in high-traffic areas. The tile 28 may be polished orunpolished, cut or uncut, and in short, may be prepared according to thedesign 32 of the mosaic concrete product 26. However, in a preferredembodiment, the tile 28 is preferably flat on at least the visible face,and be no thicker than one (1) inch and no larger in radius than one (1)square foot. As disclosed in further detail herein, one of the uniqueadvantages associated with a first embodiment of the present inventionis that the thickness of the tile 28 may not need to be uniform, andonly the visible face of the tile needs to be flat.

Referring to FIG. 2A, in accordance with the first embodiment of thepresent invention, the tile 28 may define top and bottom faces 28 a, 28b, and the method further includes the steps of: depositing the adhesiveonto the top face 28 a of the tile 28; and placing the tile 28 upon thetemplate 30 with the top face 28 a of the tile 28 being in contacttherewith at step 64, the tile 28 being placed thereon accordingly witha reverse image 40 of the design 32, as shown in FIG. 2A. In such anembodiment, it is preferred that the template 30 be fabricated from adurable and porous medium, such as a fabric or paper material. The papermaterial may be any porous material of suitable durability and strength.In particular, the template 30 is preferably of sufficient density suchthat the design 32 may be readily visible thereon (perhaps from eitherthe side of the template 30). For example, if the template 30 is of acriss-cross or woven mesh material, the weave of the mesh should besufficiently dense to allow the design 32 to be visible thereon,preferably showing all of the necessary detail in the design 32. Thetemplate 30 should also be of sufficient porosity such that it may bewater permeable. Further, the template 30 may also be water soluble. Inaddition, the top face 28 a of the tile 28 should preferably be flat soas to ensure that upon installation, the concrete surface 55, in whichthe mosaic 10 is embedded, is also substantially flat. However, inapplications where the concrete surface, wall, or decorative structureor elements is not flat, the tile 28 need not be flat. Indeed, the topface 28 a of the tile 28 may be selected to create the appropriate lookand feel for a given application. Thus, after the design 32 has beenmapped onto the template 30, the tiles 28 may be accordingly depositedonto the template 30. Preferably, the temporary adhesive 34 is watersoluble. For example, the preferred temporary adhesive 34 is Elmer'sGlue®. Nevertheless, other synthetic resins may be suitable that providesufficient adhesive properties to temporarily maintain the tile 28adhered to the template 30 during the preparation and installation stepsof the module 14, but which allow the template 30 to be removed from thetop face 28 a of the tile 28 after the tile 28 has been embedded intothe uncured concrete surface 55 (in such cases as when the top face 28 aof the tile 28 is adhered to the template 30).

Referring now to FIG. 3A, in accordance with a second embodiment of thepresent invention, the method of fabricating the module 14 may includethe steps of: depositing the adhesive 34 onto the bottom face 28 b ofthe tile 28; and placing the tile 28 upon the template 30 with thebottom face 28 b of the tile 28 being in contact therewith at step 64,the tile 28 being positioned thereon corresponding to the design 32. Insuch an embodiment, it is preferred that the template 30 be fabricatedof a mesh material. Additionally, the preferred adhesives utilizablewith the second embodiment are Liquid Nails and/or Weldbond. Indeed, thetemplate 30 should preferably be fabricated from a mesh material thatexhibits suitable strength properties to support the cumulative weightof the tile 28 and to be durable during subsequent movement of themodule 14 and installation process. Further, it is preferred that themesh material utilized for the template 30 allow the proper flow ofconcrete through it. The preferred mesh is fiberglass mosaic mesh, whichis 84% fiberglass and 16% alkaline resistant finish, sized 4×5 mmbetween yarn centers. An exemplary mosaic fiberglass mesh is availablethrough di Mosaico. Seehttp://www.dimosaico.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=DM&Category_Code=FM.In addition, it is also preferred that, in order to achieve optimalresults in creating a flat surface, that the tile 28 be substantiallyflat on the top face 28 a thereof, as described above. Additionally,because the bottom faces 28 b of the tile 28 are to be adhered to thetemplate 30, the bottom faces 38 should preferably also be flat.Moreover, it is contemplated that using tiles 28 of substantially equaland uniform thickness may also ensure that the mosaic 10 is properlycreated.

In performing the method according to the first embodiment utilizing thetemplate 30 made of the paper material it is preferred that the top face28 a be flat. However, in contrast to prior art methods and to thesecond embodiment, in which the mesh material is utilized, one of theunique benefits of the first embodiment is that the tile 28 need not beof a substantially equal thickness or have substantially flat bottomsurfaces. While such uniformity may facilitate the creation of a flatsurface if desired, it is contemplated that other finishing steps may beperformed on the mosaic and the concrete surface 55 in order to ensurean overall flatness suitable for high traffic applications and the like.In fact, as described below, because implementations of the presentinvention utilize the concrete surface 55, such inconsistencies in tile28 thickness and surface finish may be compensated for by properlyfloating the surface prior to curing.

The fabrication of the module 14 should preferably be completed to allowsufficient time for the module 14 to dry at step 66 before the module 14is installed on the uncured concrete surface 55. Preferably, whenmultiple modules 14 are utilized to create a single mosaic concreteproduct 26, the modules 14 should be dried and labeled corresponding totheir placement in the mosaic. In order to verify the accuracy of thedesign 32, the modules 14 may be laid out on a flat surface prior toinstallation. At that time, any changes in the placement of the tile 28should be made in order to achieve desired results. Additionally, thetemplates 30 may also be trimmed if necessary. Furthermore, the module14 should be kept dry and at room temperature prior to installation topreserve the placement and configuration of the tile 28 thereon.

In accordance with an implementation of the present invention, a methodof installing the mosaic upon the uncured concrete surface 55 utilizingthe module 14 is provided. The module 14 may define upper and lowersurfaces 14 a, 14 b, with the upper surface including tile 28 adheredthereto and the design 32 corresponding to the mosaic. Referring toFIGS. 1, 2B and 3B, the method comprises the steps of: positioning themodule 14 upon the concrete surface 55 at step 68; embedding the tile 28into the concrete surface 55 at step 70; massaging the tile 28 into theconcrete surface 55 at step 72 to interpose a quantity of cement/finespaste 24 between the adjacent tiles 28; and finishing the concretesurface 55 at step 74. In the first embodiment, the method may furtherinclude allowing the concrete surface 55 to partially cure and removingthe template 30 at step 76 prior to finishing.

The positioning step of the method may be variously performed. Forexample, if the template 30 is fabricated from a mesh material, thepositioning step includes placing the lower surface 14 b of the module14 onto the concrete surface 55, as shown in FIG. 3B. In this regard,the bottom face 28 b of the tile 28 will be embedded into the concretesurface 55 along with the mesh material. Later, as the tile 28 ismassaged into the concrete surface 55, the cement/fines paste 24 may bepushed upwardly between the tiles 28 and mesh material, as illustratedin FIG. 3C. Thus, the cement/fines paste 24 may fill all of the voidsbetween the tiles 28 and eliminate the need for secondary groutingmaterials, which is another advantageous aspect of implementations ofthe present invention over the prior art. This advantageous aspect maythus eliminate additional time and material requirements and create amore uniform and durable product.

The positioning step may be performed differently when implementingaspects of the first embodiment of the present invention wherein thetemplate 30 is fabricated from paper material, as shown in FIGS. 2B and2C. In such a case, the positioning step may include placing the uppersurface 14 a of the module 14 onto the concrete surface 55, as shown inFIG. 2B. Thus, the bottom face 28 b of the tile 28 may be embedded intothe concrete surface 55. However, the template 30, which in thissituation is adhered to the top face 28 a of the tile 28, will not beembedded into the concrete surface 55, but may likely rest on top of theconcrete surface 55, as shown in FIG. 2B.

After the module 14 has been properly positioned upon the concretesurface 55, the massaging step may include massaging the tile into theconcrete surface 55 at step 72 utilizing various techniques. Accordingto implementations of the first embodiment, this step is preferablyperformed before the template 30 has been removed from the tiles 28.However, as indicated above, when the mesh material 44 is utilized, thetemplate 30 will not be removed. As the tile 28 is massaged into theconcrete surface 55, the cement/fines paste 24 fills the gaps betweenadjacent tiles 28, as shown in a final position in FIG. 2C. As describedabove, this step tends to eliminate the need for secondary groutingmaterials.

As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the tile 28 may bemassaged into the concrete surface 55 utilizing tools and/or techniques,some of which are described herein to illustrate exemplary embodimentsof the same, including without limitation, wood, fiberglass, or rubberfloats. Additionally, the tile 28 may be tapped with a mallet.

The use of a float may tend to ensure that the tiles 28 create a flatsurface and that the cement/fines paste 24 has filled all of the voidsbetween adjacent tiles 28. Thus, as also mentioned above, even thoughthe tiles 28 may be of dissimilar thicknesses, a level surface plane forthe concrete surface 55 with the embedded tile 28 may be achievedutilizing the float. It should be understood that the float may be oneof a variety of tools useful to create a flat, undulating, or irregularconcrete surface 55, as desired. Such tools may include the vibratingbull floats, as described above.

After the module 14 has been positioned onto the uncured concretesurface 55 and the tiles 28 are sufficiently embedded therein, thetemplate 30, if adhered to the top face 28 a of the tile 28, should beseparated from the tile 28 once the concrete surface 55 is substantiallyset. Care should be taken to not affect the positioning of tiles 28 asdesigned. Prior to removing the template 30, the concrete surface 55should preferably be permitted sufficient time to set, although full orpartial setting may not occur or be desirable in certain situations. Inorder to remove the template 30, the method may further include the stepof applying water to at least a portion of the module 14 to facilitateremoval of the template 30 from the tile 28. Preferably, the template 30should be lightly soaked with water. Although water is preferred, it ispossible that other solvents may be utilized instead of water. However,water is preferred because it does not stain the concrete surface 55. Insome situations, wet towels may be placed on top of the template 30 tofurther aid the process of removal. As discussed above, the adhesivedisposed between the top face 28 a of the tile 28 and the template 30may be water-soluble, and the template 30 may be of a porous material.Thus, upon applying the water to the module 14, it is contemplated thatthe water may penetrate the template 30 and at least partially dissolvethe adhesive and/or loosen the bond that the adhesive created betweenthe tile 28 and the template 30.

After sufficient time has passed from application of the water, thetemplate 30 may be removed at step 76 by gently peeling the template 30from the top face 28 a of the tiles 28, as shown in FIG. 2B. This stepshould be performed with caution; however, if certain tiles 28 remainadhered to the template 30, they may be removed manually and re-embeddedin their respective designed locations in the concrete surface 55. Incases where the template 30 is water soluble, the water may preferablydissolve at least: a portion of the template 30 and cause the remainderof the template 30 to be released from the tile 28. Thus, the template30 may be removed from the tile 28 with a brush or water, for example.Utilizing a water soluble template 30 may be advantageous to avoidaccidental displacement of the tile 28. Further, this step may beperformed even though the cement/fines paste 24 has not filled all ofthe voids between adjacent tiles 28 because subsequent floating of thesurface may tend to ensure that such a result is achieved.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 4, after the module 14 has been installedinto the concrete surface 55, the concrete surface 55 may be finishedutilizing other processes, such as surface seeding exposed aggregate atstep 78, such as by brooming, sandblasting, salt or acid bath,troweling, or various other finishing processes, including hard floatingthe surface at step 80. In preferred implementations of the presentinvention, the method may further include the steps of broadcasting aquantity of aggregate upon the concrete surface 55 of the concretemixture; mixing the aggregate into the cement/fines paste; applying asurface retarder to the concrete surface 55; and massaging the surfaceretarder into the concrete surface. Thus, while the concrete surface 55is still plastic, small sized aggregate may be broadcast thereupon. Theaggregate may include silica sands, coarse sands, brass beads, organicmaterials, metals, fine sand, composite materials, or combinationsthereof. In broadcasting the aggregate onto the surface, it iscontemplated that various patterns or visual effects may be createdthereby, especially given the flexibility of utilizing several types ofaggregate. It is contemplated that certain tools may be utilized toperform the broadcasting steps, such as pneumatic equipment or otherspraying/spreading equipment.

Taking care that the aggregate has been swept from the surface of theembedded tile 28 (to ensure proper surface levels), after the aggregateis broadcast upon the concrete surface 55, the aggregate is preferablymixed or worked into the surface, and more particularly, is preferablymixed into the cement/fines paste 24 of the surface located about theperiphery and in between the tiles 28. In implementations of the presentinvention, this step may be utilized to further enhance the physicalplacement of the aggregate on the surface. This may be accomplishedutilizing a power trowel or a float, as described above. However, it iscontemplated that the mixing may be accomplished utilizing other devicesknown in the art. This mixing of the aggregate with the cement/finespaste 24 at the surface is also critical to the process of the presentinvention because it ensures that the aggregate is fully embedded intothe cement/fines paste 24 and thus thoroughly adhered or bonded to thesurface of the concrete mixture upon resultant curing.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, it is contemplatedthat the concrete surface may also be manipulated utilizing a trowelingdevice, such as a trowel, a stamp, or other suitable tool. Thus,utilizing the troweling device, various designs or patterns may betransferred to the concrete surface utilizing the skill, taste, anddesign 32 as required by the user. Such manipulation of the concretesurface 55 utilizing the troweling device is performed when the concretesurface 55 has partially set, but prior to full curing. However,numerous other finishing procedures may be performed on the concretesurface 55 after curing. For example, the tile 28 of the mosaic 10 maybe sponge cleaned. Additionally, a steam/acid wash of the surface may beperformed to properly clean the tile 28 of the mosaic 10. Cleansing thetile 28 may be preferably done prior to other finishing steps, such asutilizing the surface retarder 52, sawcutting, sand or water blasting,grinding, and/or polishing, just to name a few.

At step 82, a surface retarder, such as a chemical surface retarder, maybe applied to the surface to uniformly cover the same. The surfaceretarder slows down the hydration process of the concrete surface 55.The application of the surface retarder at step 82 may be followed bythe step of finishing the surface of the concrete mixture 55 with thepower trowel, for example, to massage the surface retarder into thecement/fines paste 24 having the aggregate mixed therein. This finishingstep preferably results in the penetration of the surface retarder intothe cement/fines paste 24 at a distance below the maximum depth of theaggregate, which may be at least approximately ⅜ inch in some instances,and perhaps below the tile 28. Advantageously, this particular finishingstep may eliminate hard spots in the resultant concrete by facilitatinga full mix of the retarder and the cement/fines paste 24. The powertrowel, preferably used in relation to both this and the previouslymentioned step, finishes the concrete surface 55 in a generally circularmotion. Although various conventional surface retarders may be utilized,one superior surface retarder is designated as SPEC AE manufactured byE.L. Moore Co. of Costa Mesa, Calif.

Referring again to FIG. 1, at step 84, a vapor barrier may be formed onthe surface. In the preferred embodiment, the formation of the vaporbarrier is facilitated by the application of a liquid chemicalevaporation reducer to the concrete surface 55. A preferred evaporationreducer is sold under the trademark CONFILM by the Concrete Tide Co. ofCompton, Calif. An alternative vapor barrier may be formed by coveringthe surface with four (4) or six (6) millimeters of visquene. The vaporbarrier is maintained upon the surface of the concrete mixture for aprescribed period of time which may range from approximately two (2) totwenty-four (24) hours.

After the vapor barrier has remained upon the surface for a prescribedperiod of time, the concrete surface 55 may be washed with water toremove any surface films therefrom. In this washing procedure, it may bepreferable to lightly brush the surface with a bristle brush. This maybe done in order to enhance or alter the design 32. Please note thatusing a brass brush may stain the tiles (though it may be cleaned withacid). The washing step, as described herein, may be done withoutexcessive dislodgement and loss of the aggregate and tile 28 due to thefull mixture of the retarder and cement/fines paste 24 performed duringthe power troweling of the surface. Additionally, the application of theliquid evaporation reducer to the concrete surface 55 may also reducethe rate of the evaporation of moisture from the surface and increasethe ease at which the excess cement/fines paste 24 and residual surfaceretarder are washed from the surface.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, subsequent to washing, the concrete surface iscured at step 86. The concrete surface 55 may be cured utilizing wateralone, as opposed to chemical curing agents in order to avoid stainingof the surface. Such water curing may typically be facilitated throughthe use of a conventional fogger or soaker hose. After a prescribedperiod of time (e.g., 30 days after initiating the curing process) anysurface residue present on the concrete surface 55 is removed byconventional power washing at step 88 with a ninety percent (90%) steamand ten percent (10%) muriatic acid mixture which is applied by a powerwasher via a high pressure nozzle.

The resultant surface exhibits a mosaic 10 appearance of varioustextures and patterns according to the complexity of the design 32.Further, as an extremely flat surface, even if surface seeded exposedaggregate is utilized, it is also suitable for high pedestrian traffic.As described above, various modifications in the color, size, texture,and other characteristics of the aggregate may be modified in order toproduce numerous designs.

The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation.Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devisevariations that are within the scope of the invention disclosed herein,including various ways of creating different textures, colors, patterns,utilizing various types of mosaic pieces, transferring the design 32 tothe module 14, etc. Further, the various features of the embodimentsdisclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with eachother and are not intended to be limited to the specific combinationdescribed herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited bythe illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming an aesthetic surface on astructure, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a pluralityof aesthetic elements and a template; b) adhering the aesthetic elementsto the template with a water soluble adhesive, wherein the template doesnot exert a circumferential force upon the aesthetic elements; c)providing a concrete form for constructing a concrete structure havingan outer surface; d) pouring concrete into the concrete form to createthe concrete wall, the aesthetic elements becoming embedded within thepoured concrete; and e) removing the template from the poured concrete.2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising the step oftrowelling a surface of the concrete.
 3. The method recited in claim 1,further comprising the step of allowing the concrete to harden.
 4. Themethod recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of exposing theaesthetic elements.
 5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein theaesthetic elements include aggregates.
 6. The method recited in claim 5,wherein the aggregates are adhered to the template in a randomarrangement.
 7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the concrete formin step c) is a form for a vertical concrete structure.
 8. The methodrecited in claim 1, wherein the concrete form in step c) is a form for ahorizontal concrete structure.
 9. The method recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the step of applying water to facilitate remove of thetemplate from the aesthetic elements.
 10. A method of forming anaesthetic surface on a concrete structure, the method comprising thesteps of: a) providing a plurality of aesthetic elements and a template;b) adhering aesthetic elements to the template, wherein the templatedoes not exert a circumferential force upon the aesthetic elements; c)forming the concrete structure using a concrete material; d) positioningthe template within a surface of the concrete structure while theconcrete is workable; and e) massaging the aesthetic elements into theconcrete.
 11. The method recited in claim 10, further comprising thestep of exposing the aesthetic elements.
 12. The method recited in claim10, further comprising the step of allowing the concrete structure toharden.
 13. The method recited in claim 12, further comprising the stepsof washing the concrete structure and sealing the concrete structure.14. The method recited in claim 10, wherein step b) includes adheringaesthetic elements to the template using an adhesive.
 15. The methodrecited in claim 10, wherein step c) includes forming a verticalconcrete structure.
 16. The method recited in claim 10, wherein step b)includes adhering the aesthetic elements to the template in a randomfashion.
 17. A method of forming an aesthetic surface on a structure,the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality ofaesthetic elements and a template; b) adhering the aesthetic elements tothe template with an adhesive, wherein the template does not exert acircumferential force upon the aesthetic elements; c) disposing aconcrete material on a base surface having a vertical component, theconcrete material defining an exposed surface formed independent of aform; and d) placing the aesthetic elements within the exposed surfaceof the concrete material after disposing the concrete material on thebase surface.
 18. The method recited in claim 17, wherein the step ofpneumatically projecting the concrete material onto the base surfaceincludes aiming a hose connected to a pressurized source of the concretematerial toward the base surface.
 19. The method recited in claim 17,further comprising the step of removing the mesh from the aestheticelements.
 20. The method recited in claim 17, further comprising thestep of placing the template within the concrete mixture.